MALACCA: The level of care and benefits for workers provided by the government should effectively diminish any notion of Malaysia being a failed or bankrupt state, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

In launching and announcing the renaming of the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) Rehabilitation Centre in Ayer Keroh, as the Tun Abdul Razak Rehabilitation Centre (TARRC), Najib said such services show that the country is capable of providing the best services to its people.

"This should effectively diminish false claims by certain quarters that Malaysia is a failed state and a bankrupt one. A bankrupt state would not be able to create such a world-class facility," said Najib.

"This just another example among many that shows Malaysia is a country that has a bright future."

Earlier, Human Resource Minister Datuk Richard Riot Jaem said the TARRC was already an award-winning facility which been recognised internationally as the best in Southeast Asia and one of the best in the world.

Built at a cost of RM238 million, the centre can rehabilitate up to 350 workers simultaneously from providing medical services to various levels of physical rehabilitation until patients are able to fully recover from injuries and return to work.

"This gives workers who have sustained such injuries the hope of returning to full employment which would enable them to earn and sustain a living," said Najib.

With the establishment of the TARRC, Najib called for the Human Resource Ministry and SOCSO to now look into preventive healthcare for workers, in particular over diseases such as obesity, diabetes and lifestyle-related ailments.